On 13 July 2026, the European Union, through a statement by High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, calling it final and legally binding and urging its full implementation by the parties involved. The statement marks the tenth anniversary of the award issued by the Arbitral Tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concerning the dispute between the Philippines and China.
The EU underlined the critical importance of upholding freedoms, rights and duties set out in UNCLOS, particularly freedom of navigation and overflight, including transit passage, as essential to regional stability and global security. The bloc expressed deep concern over the steady increase of tensions and dangerous incidents in the South China Sea and firmly opposed any unilateral actions that threaten to undermine regional stability and the international order based on international law. The EU also reiterated its support for ongoing efforts by ASEAN and China to conclude an effective, substantive and legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, in line with UNCLOS.
The statement, issued on behalf of the EU by the EEAS, did not announce new measures but reaffirmed longstanding positions. The 2016 award, which China has rejected, remains a point of contention in the region. The EU's stance supports the Philippines and other claimant states, while opposing coercive or unilateral actions. The impact is primarily diplomatic: the EU reinforces its role as a supporter of rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, potentially straining relations with China but reassuring ASEAN partners and the Philippines. No new sanctions or concrete actions were announced.